Victoria – The University of Victoria Department of Athletics and Recreation is pleased to welcome two historic powerhouse teams to it's 2023 Hall of Fame class. Finding their place in the coveted Vikes Walk of Excellence is the 1992-93 women's field hockey team and the 1982-83 men's basketball team.
"It has been my great privilege and pleasure to serve, for the first time, on the Hall of Fame selection committee. The rich and accomplished history of Vikes athletics is beautifully documented in the nominations we reviewed this year. As such, our work as committee members was both a challenging and a rewarding experience," said Acting Senior Director of Athletics and Recreation, Nicole Greengoe.
"Congratulations to this year's worthy inductees. We're so happy to be honouring you during a lovely evening of celebration."
1992-93 Women's field hockey
Headlined by Canadian national team standouts Milena Gaiga, Rochelle Low and Sue Reid, who had just returned from the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, the 1992-93 women's field hockey team finished the season with an almost perfect 11-0-1 record.
Coached by the recently retired Hall-of-Famer Lynne Beecroft and dubbed the "dream catchers," the Vikes went on to win the Canada West conference title and the CIAU Championship, collecting the program's fifth national banner.
Low, who was awarded the Canada West and CIAU Player of the Year, was also named a CIAU All-Canadian alongside teammates Reid and Gaiga. Low also earned CIAU tournament MVP honours; however, the captain later gave the award to Cara Jay, who she believed deserved it more.
The 1994 championship win earned Jay the title as the most decorated CIAU women's field hockey player at the time. Jay won four championships and one silver medal in her five years as a Vike (1989, 90, 91, 92, 94).
1982-83 Men's basketball
With a perfect 15-0 season record, the 1982-83 UVic men's basketball team won the Canada West Championship title before defeating the University of Waterloo to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive CIAU National Championship.
Coached by the legendary Ken Shields, the powerhouse Vikes outscored opponents 908-690 en route to winning it all.
That season, UVic Sports Hall-of-Famers Eli Pasquale, Gerald Kazanowski, and Kelly Dukeshire were named CIAU All-Canadians, while coach Shields took home both the Canada West and CIAU Coach of the Year honours. Pasquale was named the championship tournament MVP.
The 1982-83 national championship win marked a fourth of seven straight for the UVic men's basketball team in their historic run as one of Canada's top programs.
Event details
The annual Hall of Fame induction will take place on May 11, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. at the University Club. This year's event will celebrate the exceptional achievements of UVic's athletes and coaches and will recognize their contributions to the university's rich sporting history.
For more information about the UVic Sports Hall of Fame and
previous winners or to nominate someone, visit
here.
Note: The name for the U SPORTS national body that UVic student-athletes compete under has changed names throughout time. From 1906 to 2000 they were known as the CIAU (Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union) and then adopted CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) in 2001, before officially becoming U SPORTS in April 2017. References above relate to what the national body was called when the inductee(s) competed.
1992-93 Women's Field Hockey roster:
Harriet Wheatley
Sara Plumpton
Robin Vinge
Cara Jay
Nicole Heisterman
Sue Reid
Rochelle Low
Milena Gaiga
Brenda Lannard
Juliet Anderton
Jennifer van Dyk
Torrie Hester
Cassandra Zinkowski
Margaret Fonger
Alison Hunter
Colleen MacLeod
Lynne Beecroft (Head coach)
Terri Finney (Assistant coach)
1982-83 Men's Basketball roster:
Eli Pasquale
Gerald Kazanowski
Kelly Dukeshire
Tom Narbeshuber
Quinn Groenheyde
Greg Kazanowski
Dan Brosseuk
Ryan Burles
Phil Ohl
Dave Sheehan
Dave Bakken
Vito Pasquale
Al Duddridge (Manager)
Ken Shields (Head coach)
Bill Turney-Loos (Assistant coach)
Craig Higgins (Assistant coach)
